Monrovia Tries ‘POP’ as Weapon in Drug Fight

For at least one night, there were no drugs changing hands on the 100 block of West Montana Avenue, just lollipops and balloons.

Instead of busting dealers, police served cookies and punch. And rather than seeking shelter at sunset, residents of this crime-plagued street sat in their front yards soaking it all up.

“Let’s call it a celebration and also a declaration of war,” Mayor Bob Bartlett told the cheering crowd of 100 that filled the street last Thursday evening. “If you’re a drug dealer or user, this is probably the time to pack up and go on.”

The block party was the high point so far in the city’s new attack on crime, dubbed “Problem Oriented Policing.” Under the “POP” philosophy, which began in February, officers are expected to serve as social activists, teaming up with other city departments and community agencies to address the causes of crime, Police Chief Joseph Santoro said.

Montana Avenue, the fourth location in the city to be targeted under the approach, had become one of Monrovia’s busiest centers for cocaine dealing, Santoro said.

Customers came from as far away as San Bernardino and Orange counties. Officers videotaped their transactions in broad daylight.

But a closer inspection of the block revealed that drugs were not the only problem, the chief said. Numerous residents were living in substandard units, where electrical outlets were exposed, cockroaches ran free and plumbing frequently backed up.

Tenants in one apartment were forced to shower outside with a garden hose.

“After a while, it becomes an acceptable way of living,” Santoro said. “You get the feeling that nobody can do anything. We’re saying: ‘Wait a minute! It’s not OK. We’re not going to tolerate that.’ ”

In the two weeks before the block party, a team of undercover officers made 14 arrests for buying or selling drugs.

At the same time, city officials wrote landlords, warning that they could lose their property if they did not take steps to keep the dealers out. Code enforcement officers and building officials handed out notices with details of needed repairs.

“This place has completely turned around,” Santoro said. “Two weeks ago, you wouldn’t have even driven down this street. You would have had that feeling that something wasn’t right.”

Some residents complained that the police had been heavy-handed in cleaning up the block. “They think they can just come down here and arrest all the black folks,” said a young man who called himself Ice Water. “That’s cold. Ain’t nobody listening to them.”

But most of the people who had gathered in the street at dusk were pleased to see officers milling about, smiles on their faces, sipping punch.

“A lot of times people are afraid of the police,” said Mario Ortiz, 33, who watched the festivities with his 8-year-old son. “This is a way of winning trust.”